How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs: Top 10 Picks

Last Updated on August 26, 2019

92% of pet owners report that they read the ingredients list on the back of a bag of dog food before they purchase it. This is great news as it shows just how much dog owners care about the health of their furry friends. However, simply reading the ingredients doesn’t always help. The best dog food for sensitive stomachs and gas, need to be high quality and the right ingredients.

With a plethora of ingredients in each bag of dog food, it can be hard to make sense of what’s good and what’s not, especially if your dog has a sensitive stomach.

Looking for some direction when it comes to choosing the right food? Here’s what you need to know in order to choose the best dog food for a sensitive stomach.

The number one ingredient in this dog food is salmon, which is a great source of protein that doesn’t tend to cause intestinal issues. If your dog is sensitive to other kinds of meat, then they’ll appreciate the salmon in this food.

What’s also great about Purina Pro Plan is that it doesn’t include any artificial colors or flavors and it doesn’t list corn, wheat, or soy as ingredients.

Probiotic fiber will help with digestion if that’s the root cause of your dog’s pains.

While you can choose from either chicken with peas or salmon with lentils, it’s best to start out with the salmon as chicken can cause issues with gas and digestion in certain dogs. What’s great about this dog food option is that it’s full of additional Omegas that can help with your pup’s overall health.

When you’re dealing with dogs with sensitive stomachs, what you really need to do is limit the number of ingredients they’re consuming. This is what’s great about dog food with limited ingredients, like this one.

This is also a great choice if your dog is picky about flavors, as it comes in seven different flavors that your dog can enjoy, all with one single protein and carbohydrate source.

If your dog isn’t a fan of chicken, salmon, or turkey, then have them try eating duck, which is the main ingredient in this Blue Buffalo Basic dog food.

All around, however, this is a really great option for total health support. It includes glucosamine, chondroitin, and calcium for strong bones and a blend of omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat.

Even better, it features prebiotics and probiotics, both which support healthy digestion.

As mentioned, you’re going to want to try and reduce the number of overall ingredients your dog is consuming if they have a sensitive stomach. Merrick’s Limited Ingredient dog food contains just eight ingredients!

It’s 26% protein and 16% fat, which is great for a limited ingredient dog food. Your pup will also enjoy the fact that it contains chelated minerals and vitamin supplements. These will help ensure that they’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy.

Does your dog need more protein? Try these freeze-dried patties that contain 38% protein. On top of having lots of fiber-rich protein, these patties are totally raw, which is a great plus for pups with sensitive stomachs.

In fact, the best dog food for a sensitive stomach should be raw, if you can find and access it. These patties include real duck, turkey, and goose as the main ingredients, all of which are great for sensitive dogs.

Finally, it’s important to think about value when choosing the best dog food for a dog with a sensitive stomach. American Journey offers great value with their limited ingredient formula.

The addition of sweet potato is great for dog’s lacking in vitamins and minerals, which the fish oil can help with the absorption of those nutrients.

The novel protein is ideal for dogs that have sensitive stomachs as novelty protein doesn’t trigger allergies.

Ingredients That Help with Sensitive Stomachs

Certain ingredients can help alleviate stomach problems in dogs. Often the best dog food for sensitive stomach and skin have similar ingredients.

Pumpkin

The most popular ingredient amongst veterinarians is pumpkin. Canned pumpkin is great when a dog has an upset stomach or indigestion because it has a low glycemic index that helps with digestion.

Look for canned pumpkin and not pumpkin mix. If you want, add a bit of ginger on top as this will help soothe their stomach (just like ginger ale).

Broth

Bone broth is another powerful ingredient for upset canine tummies. Simply simmer meat on the bone with apple cider vinegar and water.

Wait for the meat to fall off and let all of the nutrients and minerals simmer out of the bone and into the watery mix. This takes a while, so plan on serving it to your dog the following day.

If you can, look for ingredients like these in dog food while avoiding certain other ingredients that add to inflammation or cause gas.

What Ingredients to Avoid in Dog Food

Now that you know all about dog food, it’s important to know which kinds of ingredients you need to avoid!

It’s worth mentioning that if you notice that your dog suddenly seems to have a sensitive stomach, you should take them to the veterinarian to have them checked out.

Rue out any serious issues that will require other forms of treatment. Once you’ve done that, then you’ll want to start trying out different foods with your furry friend.

Experts recommend staying away from foods that cause inflammation. This means that you should avoid feeding your dog meats like chicken and lamb. Instead, opt for feeding them all-natural beef or fish.

You’ll also want to avoid foods that have a low glycemic index and can lead to slow digestion.

Avoid feeding your dog anything with:

wheat

soy

rice

corn

Look for a dog food brand that uses millet instead.

How to Choose the Best Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

Choosing the best dog food for a sensitive stomach really depends on your dog’s breed, age, size, and overall preferences.

In general, it’s best to stick to raw foods when you can and limited ingredient dog food to avoid adding lots of hard-to-digest ingredients to your dog’s diet.

Look for foods that are high in single-source animal proteins and that don’t contain wheat, soy, corn, or any preservatives or fillers.

Getting rid of all preservatives and fillers will help you see a huge difference in your dog’s digestion.

From there, you’ll have to try different ingredients to see what help your pup’s digestion in the best way.

Make sure your dog is getting all of the vitamins they need to enjoy a healthy, active life regardless of their stomach issues.

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